Dear Mason Music Family,

We are excited to share amazing Music at Music during April! As highlighted in this newsletter, you have the opportunity to experience our Dewberry School of Music students performing in vocal and instrumental ensembles in a variety of venues!  Please join us for an incredible line-up of stellar music events during this busy season of spring 2024 ensemble concerts, student recitals, masterclasses, lectures, and workshops.

We encourage you to purchase your tickets now for the University Chorale Broadway Showcase this Saturday April 6 at the Hylton and for ticketed events at our Fairfax campus next week, including Mason Jazz Vocal Night on April 8, University Singers "Flying to the Stars" on April 9, and Mason Symphonic Band on April 10. In addition, we have many outstanding free chamber concerts and student degree recitals on campus that you will not want to miss!  

You have the opportunity to purchase your tickets now for our Mason Opera in a Comedic Double Bill of Mozart and Stucky on April 19-21 (Harris Theater), Mason Wind Symphony concert on April 25, and Mason Symphony Orchestra concert featuring our concerto winners on April 26 in Mason's Center for the Arts.  Please also purchase your tickets to hear our Mason Jazz Ensemble on April 23 at Blues Alley in Washington, D.C. 

We are so proud of our Mason Music students and for their incredible work and accomplishments throughout this semester. Please join us for our phenomenal end- of- the- semester concerts this month as we showcase our outstanding student artists!   

Thank you to our Friends of Music at Mason for your continued support of our Dewberry School of Music students and faculty.  We look forward to sharing joyous music with you!

Warmest regards,

Dr. Linda A. Monson, Director

Reva and Sid Dewberry Family School of Music

Broadway at the Movies

Saturday, April 6, 2024, at 2 p.m. & 8 p.m.

Hylton Performing Arts Center, Gregory Family Theatre Manassas campus

MUSI 300 credit is available.

$20 General Public, $15 Seniors, $5 Students

"Broadway at the Movies" combines the best of Broadway musicals with the magic of the movie screen. This annual showcase event brings together talented University Chorale members who sing and dance to create an entertaining experience for the audience!

The concert celebrates the rich history of Broadway and its influence on the world of cinema. It features iconic songs from beloved musicals that have been adapted into movies, as well as original songs created specifically for the big screen. Selections include In The Heights, Grease, Wicked, and more! Join us for a sing-along finale to conclude the event!

We invite you to join us on Saturday, April 6, 2024, at 2 p.m. & 8 p.m. in the Hylton Performing Arts Center, Gregory Family Theatre, on the Manassas campus. All are welcome!

Brass Ensembles Concert

Sunday, April 7 at 3 pm

DeLaski 3001

Free and Open to the Public. No tickets or registration required. 

Come hear the brilliant sounds of the Trumpet Ensemble, GMU Tuba Euphonium Ensemble, and the Mason Brass Quintet.

MASON JAZZ VOCAL NIGHT 

Monday, April 8 at 8pm 

Center for the Arts 

$12 General Public, $8 Seniors, $5 Students

Join Dr. Darden Purcell, the Mason Jazz Voice Studio, the DOWNBEAT award-winning Mason Jazz Vocal Ensemble and Forest Park High School Platinum Vocal Jazz (director Lara Brittain) for an evening of swinging standards and classic hits from the Great American Songbook.

Flying to the Stars

Tuesday, April 9 at 8 p.m.| Curtain Talk at 7:30 p.m.

Center for the Arts Concert Hall

$12 General Public, $8 Seniors, $5 Students

Flying to the Stars is a choral concert dedicated to the beginnings of flight from the time of Leonardo da Vinci to the exploration of space. The concert will feature a multi-media presentation including Jocelyn Hagen’s The Notebooks of Leonardo, Eric Whitacre’s Leonardo Dreams of his Flying Machine. The choir will also premiere Knot by Mason faculty member Dr. Jesse Guessford. Join us for a curtain talk at 7:30 pm on the history of DaVinci’s forward-thinking engineering from Mason mechanical engineering students who have collaborated with the Dewberry School of Music to create a surprise element as a part of the performance.

Mason Symphonic Band

Wednesday, April 10 at 8 p.m.

Center for the Arts Concert Hall

$12 General Public, $8 Seniors, $5 Students

The Mason Symphonic Band is excited to present its third concert of the 2023-24 performance season, presenting traditional and contemporary works for wind bands composed by various composers. This ensemble is comprised of both music majors and non-majors from a myriad of academic disciplines. Conducted by Director of Concert Bands, Dr. William L. Lake, Jr., and Graduate Conducting Student, Mr. Derik Wright, this concert will be both inspiring artistically and entertaining.

String Chamber Ensemble Concert: The Spheres Project

Sunday, April 14 at 8 pm

DeLaski 3001

Free and Open to the Public. No tickets or registration required. 

The Spheres Project is a musical collaboration between Mason string faculty and students. The project embraces both the differences and commonalities of our lived experiences. Each performance is created from the synergy between participants as they explore the intersections of their worlds. Come hear their Spring concert as part of the Mason String Chamber Ensembles! This event is free and open to the public.

Steel Pan Ensemble, Latin American Ensemble, and

Braddock Road Brass Band Jazz Concert

Monday, April 15 at 8 pm

Center for the Arts Concert Hall

Free and Open to the Public. No tickets or registration required. 

Join the Mason Steel Pan Ensemble, directed by Victor Provost, the DOWNBEAT award-winning Latin American Ensemble, directed by Dr. Juan Megna and the Braddock Road Brass Band, directed by Graham Breedlove, in a celebration of music around the world! From New Orleans to the Caribbean to Brazil, this concert has something for everyone!

New Sound Collective Concert

Wednesday, April 17 at 8 pm

DeLaski 3001

Free and Open to the Public. No tickets or registration required. 

New Sound Collective presents two pieces by guest composer Dr. Armando Bayolo ("Otoño" and "Childhood" as well as premiere performances by Mason student composers.

Mason Opera presents

Mozart's The Impresario and Steven Stucky's The Classical Style: An Opera (of Sorts)

Friday, April 19 at 8 pm

Saturday, April 20 at 2pm and 8pm

Sunday, April 21 at 3pm

Harris Theatre

$20 General Public, $15 Seniors, $5 Students

Double the Laughs! Don’t miss this rare operatic comedy double bill! First up, Mozart’s witty “The Impresario,” a battle of divas and egos set to sublime music. Witness the clash between two divas, millionaire patrons, and the impresario in this lively singspiel. Everyone learns to stand back when two divas both want top billing! Then, dive into the whimsical world of “The Classical Style: An Opera (Of Sorts),” where Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven embark on a hilarious quest to save classical music and to reclaim its glory. With rich orchestral scores and unforgettable characters, this double bill promises an evening of laughter and enchantment!

Guitar Ensemble Concert

Sunday, April 21 at 1 pm

DeLaski 3001

Free and Open to the Public. No tickets or registration required. 

Join us for the George Mason University Guitar Ensemble’s concert. Under the direction of Professor Matt Trkula, the George Mason University Guitar Ensemble features School of Music guitar students from a variety of majors including guitar performance, music technology, and music education. The group performs music that spans the entire course of Western music ranging from Renaissance to contemporary composers.

Piano Chamber Ensembles Concert

Wednesday, April 24 at 5 pm

Choral Room (DeLaski Performing Arts Building Rm. A323)

Free and Open to the Public. No tickets or registration required. 

Featuring works by Rachmaninoff, Ravel, Weber, Liszt, Schumann, and Moszkowski.

Vocal Performance Seminar Recital

Thursday, April 25 at 3 pm

Center for the Arts Monson Grand Tier 3

Free and Open to the Public. No tickets or registration required. 

Come hear Mason's vocal students present a recital featuring some of your favorite arias and art songs!

Mason Wind Symphony

The Blue Marble: An eARTh Concertvation Experience

Thursday, April 25 at 8 pm | Pre-Concert Discussion 6:30 pm

Center for the Arts Concert Hall

$12 General Public, $8 Seniors, $5 Students

In collaboration with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the Mason Wind Symphony presents “The Blue Marble: An Earth Concertvation Experience.” Guest are invited to a Pre-Concert Discussion titled “Mission eARTh – A Call to action for Artists and Audience in Earth Conservation,” a sustainability marketplace featuring vendors who repurpose goods in unique ways, and to explore emerging research from various Mason disciplines that are tackling issues on climate change, our ecosystem, and impactful initiatives that raise awareness.

The featured Wind Symphony concert presents works that connect themes of our planet and the concert experience. The concert opens with Jun Nagao’s “Earth” from “The Planets” by Trouvère. This thrilling work uses themes by beloved classical composer Gustav Holst imaginatively as a nod to his popular compositions personifying the planets of our solar system.

The Mason Wind Symphony is excited to perform newly hired Professor of Composition Andrea Reinkemeyer’s “Smoulder” inspired by our ever-increasing concern about climate change as witnessed in forest fires. The work creatively uses the wind ensemble as a medium to challenge audiences to take action on complex issues of our planet through color, tension, and effect.

The Mason Wind Symphony will welcome to the stage, retiring professor of the Reva and Sid Dewberry School of Music, Anthony Maiello. Professor Anthony Maiello conducted the Mason Bands with vigor and passion leading to the growth and artistry that still radiates in the Mason Bands and throughout the School of Music. Maiello will conduct an arrangement of Bob Thiele and George Weiss’ “What a Wonderful World” made popular by Louis Armstrong.

The concert ends with Julie Giroux’s Symphony No. 6: “The Blue Marble,” a symphony written to high-definition film that captures the beauty of the history of our planet, the cultures that define it, and the harmony that is required to sustain it. Audiences will be immersed in the sights, sounds, and smells of the rainforest in this thrilling conclusion to the program.

6:30pm-7:45pm Sustainability Marketplace Opens to the Public

6:30pm-7:30pm Pre-Concert Discussion: Mission eARTh – A call to action for artists and audiences in Earth Conservation

8:00pm-9:30pm Mason Wind Symphony Concert: “The Blue Marble”

Mason Orchestras: Concerto Competition Winners Concert

Friday, April 26 at 8 pm

Center for the Arts Concert Hall

$20 General Public, $15 Seniors, $5 Students

The Mason Orchestras invite you to join us for our final performance of the season! Conducted by Dr. Soo Han, Clem Pearson, and Michael Stern, this performance will feature both the Mason Concert Orchestra and Mason Symphony Orchestra performing a vast array of musical styles, from Puccini to pop and everything in between! This performance will also celebrate the winners of the 2024 Dewberry School of Music Concerto Competition: Jamilah Barnes (soprano), Ya Chi Tang (piano), Andrew Bell (bassoon), and Michael Abernathy (marimba). The evening will conclude with music from Bernstein’s beloved West Side Story. We hope you can join us on Friday, April 26, at 8:00 p.m. in the Center for the Arts Concert Hall!

Mason Jazz Ensemble

Tuesday, April 23 at 7 pm

Blues Alley

1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW

Washington, DC 20007

$25 Tickets/$7 Fees

Jim Carroll directs the Mason Jazz Ensemble at Washington D.C.'s historic Jazz club, BLUES ALLEY! This very special performance in the nation's oldest Jazz Supper Club is one you don't want to miss!

The Mason Jazz Ensemble, directed by Jim Carroll, offers opportunities for improvisation, performance, recording, writing, leadership and service. This ensemble has performed at venues including the Shanghai Concert Hall (Beijing, China), Center for the Arts, Hylton Performing Arts Center, Jazz4Justice™ concerts, Blues Alley, Big Band Jam, Chantilly Jazz Festival, Law Day and the Jazz Education Network/JENerations Jazz Festival (New Orleans and Orlando). They have had the honor of sharing the stage with Eric Alexander, NEA Jazz Master, Maria Schneider and American Jazz Bassist, Christian McBride!

Congratulations to Mason Music Students, pianist GaYoung Lee (left) and soprano Jamilah Barnes (right) on their performance at the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) visit at Mason's campus this week featured with Mason President Gregory Washington.

Congratulations to Doc Nix and Mason's Green Machine who had the honor to perform at the White House on Monday for the Easter Egg Roll in Washington, D.C. Our Mason students were grateful to celebrate together in this long-standing tradition for our nation for the second year in a row!

Mason Jazz Intensive

Monday, June 24 - Friday, June 28, 2024

Mason is pleased to announce a new FOR-CREDIT option for the Mason Jazz Camp! 

Educators seeking professional development may participate in the Mason Jazz Intensive (MJI) and earn two college credits. Participants will have a chance to explore improvisation, expand their theory knowledge, and participate in ensembles while learning valuable pedagogical tools along the way. The MJI is ideal for K-12 educators and private instructors who wish to gain additional experience in jazz and grow professionally. This course runs concurrently with the Mason Jazz Camp, June 24 - June 28, 2024, 8:30a.m. - 4:30p.m. 

Mason Conducting Symposium - Orchestral Track and Wind Track

Monday, July 9 - Friday, July 13, 2024

The 2024 Mason Summer Conducting Symposium provides continuing professional development opportunities for conductors and educators of all levels (K-12 through professional) focused on developing gestural vocabulary and ensemble leadership. Large group masterclasses and individualized feedback will allow participants to explore new approaches to score study, movement, and rehearsal techniques. 

Orchestral Conducting Track:

Dr. Soo Han, Director of Orchestral Studies at George Mason University, and Darren Lin, percussionist, conductor, and educator, June Huang, Director of Strings, and Anthony Maiello, Instrumental Conducting an Aural Skills faculty, are conducting faculty for the orchestral track. Curriculum will focus on daily podium time, score-study skills, rehearsal planning & execution, programming, and ensemble culture.

Wind Conducting Track:

Dr. William L. Lake, Jr., Director of Concert Bands at George Mason University, will be joined by Dr. Kevin M. Geraldi, Director of Bands at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as conducting faculty for the wind track. Curriculum will focus on Large Ensemble and Chamber Ensemble conducting experiences, exercises in score study, repertoire and programming discussions, and Laban Principles of Movement for gestural communication.

Mason Jazz Camp

Monday, June 24 - Friday, June 28, 2024

The Mason Jazz Camp is an inclusive, intensive program for musicians (instrumental and vocal) of all levels. The camp offers classes in improvisation, jazz theory, ear training, performance practice, composition, arranging and jazz history. Students have the opportunity to study and participate in master classes and concerts with leading educators and performers in the Washington D.C., Virginia, and Maryland region.

Mason Community Arts Academy Summer Music Camps

Various sessions

The Mason Community Arts Academy (MCAA) collaborates with the Reva and Sid Dewberry Family School of Music to offer inclusive, engaging university-quality summer music camps and programs including instrumental, band, vocal, and choral. The programs focused on both artistry and skill-building. Students will connect with esteemed faculty and teaching artists for in-person or live-streamed lectures, masterclasses, guest performances, private lessons, clinics, audition workshops.